Add One More Star to the Night
by MelodyPond77
Summary: A Molly/Arthur one-shot detailing their love for each other. It's a bit bittersweet. It was written for Cheeky Slytherin Lass for her birthday. Happy birthday!


**For Cheeky Slytherin Lass! Happy Birthday! This is the pairing of Molly and Arthur, and the prompt 'counting stars'. I hope you enjoy it, and I really hope it doesn't make you too sad. (The end is a bit sad.)**

* * *

**Add One More Star to the Night**

Arthur held his graduation cap tightly in one hand, Molly's hand in his other, as they raced down towards the old beech tree by the lake. It was dusk, and the first stars were coming out as the sky faded to black.

The couple stopped on the lakeshore.

"Look, Arthur, the sky's waking up!" Molly sighed, happily leaning into her boyfriend's shoulder. She smiled happily, saying, "Let's count the stars, dear."

He agreed willingly. He would agree to anything she said; he worshiped the ground she walked. He dropped his hat on the ground casually, freeing up a hand as he reached into his pocket and fingered the box there.

"There's the North Star, that's one," she said, nudging for him to continue.

"And there's Cassiopeia, that's two," he smiled down at her, enraptured my her beauty as she gazed wonderingly up at the brightening night sky.

"And there's Sirius, that's thr-"

"Molly." Arthur's voice was filled with determination; he was a Gryffindor, and he was going to ask her.

"Yes?" She responded, surprised, looking at him directly.

"Molly, I... I... Iwanttocountstarswithyouforever," he said in a big rush.

"Dear, I can't understand you. What was that? Are you feeling alright?" She put a concerned hand to his forehead, it was damp. She hoped he wasn't coming down with anything.

"I'm sorry. No. I'm fine. I'm. I-" Arthur took a deep breath. She loved him, and they would be perfect together. Everything would be fine.

"Molly, you know I love you a lot, and the past few years we've been dating have been some of the best of my life, and, I guess I want to say that I... well I just want to spend the rest of my life counting stars with you." He stopped, looking into her eyes searchingly. Seeing the confusion still muddling them, he cleared his throat, dropped on one knee, and looked up into her widening eyes. "So, Mollywobbles, will you marry me?" He asked, voice trembling just a bit as he pulled the box from his pocket and revealed a sparkling ring.

"Oh, _Arthur!_ Yes! Yes, of course!" Molly pulled him to his feet, kissing him happily. "Of course I'll marry you, love."

* * *

"Arthur, help me get outside will you? I want to see the dusk." Molly groaned, heaving her pregnant belly out of the chair. She was 9 months in, the baby was due any day now, and she felt like an elephant. She could barely move anywhere.

"Mollywobbles, are you sure? Shouldn't you be resting?" Arthur was at her side in a moment, gripping her elbow and steadying her. He cast her a worried look- he didn't know what was okay for a pregnant woman to do. Honestly, he really didn't know _what _to do about this whole 'father' idea.

"Of course I'm sure! I'm 9 months pregnant, as big as a whale, and I haven't been outside in weeks! Now, it was a beautiful day, no clouds, so the sunset is going to be amazing. And I want to go outside!" She snapped, startling her placid husband.

He led her outside, and they sat next to each other on the loveseat in the garden. They were stiff in their silence as the day died and night woke up, he unsure of what to say, she guilt-ridden for snapping at him. Then-

"The sky's waking up, Mollywobbles. What do you say we count the stars again?"

Tears sprang to Molly's eyes as she snuggled close to her husband, their arms wrapping protectively, together, around their unborn son.

* * *

"War's coming, Molly." Arthur stood in the doorway of the kitchen, gravely watching as his wife washed the dishes.

"It's going to be bad, isn't it?" She turned to face him, calmly speaking of what she knew could be the end of her days. It was moments like these that showed her true Gryffindor courage.

"It will be more than bad. After what happened in the Tournament last year- You-Know-Who is back. The Ministry doesn't believe it, so he can move unchallenged throughout all of Britain."

She nodded, her shoulders tensing with worry, a worry that only increased when he uttered the next phrase.

"I want to join the Order."

"WHAT?!" Molly whirled on him, dropping the plate she had been holding. "Arthur! We have seven children! We can't go off risking our lives in the Order! What would Ron, and Ginny, and Harry, that poor boy's been through enough, and what would they do without you around? What-what would I do if-if something were to h-happen to you?" Her eyes were rapidly filling with tears, and she curled into his arms as if she were nineteen again.

"Mollywobbles, dear, everything will be fine. I'll be alright. I've talked to Dumbledore, he understands. He won't give me any extremely dangerous jobs. Of course, there will be some danger, but there will be danger for everyone now, Order or not." He brushed the tears from her eyes.

"Come on, it's almost dusk. Why don't we go count the stars?" He smiled down at her, and led her outside.

* * *

Molly sat woodenly beside her husband. Fred was gone. Fred. Her Fred. That bouncing boy she remembered running around the Burrow, laughing and teasing and pulling pranks left and right. It seemed like yesterday that she had been holding him in her arms for the first time.

The tables were filled with broken people, all gathered together in an attempt that multiple broken people could fit together and make a whole. Some of them succeeded, huddling together and celebrating being alive. Others cried, others stabbed moodily at their food, blaming everyone and everything for their loss.

Molly just sat there, silent and stony.

The tables filled, as more came down to breakfast. They cleared as people left. Ron and Hermione came down, smiling and blushing. She took no notice of them. Sometimes Arthur sat beside her, sometimes George. Many times Bill or Charlie came and placed a hand on her shoulder, or gave her a quick hug, or a peck on the cheek, just to let her know they were there. But nothing shook her from her stupor. She ate when food appeared on her plate. She drank when there was water in her cup.

And still Molly sat there.

Finally, at dusk, the room was empty, and cold, save for the lone sentinel, Molly Weasley, sitting stony, guarding the place where so many were lost. Vaguely, she heard a whisper of shoes upon stone, felt a brush against her shoulder as someone sat beside her. A familiar hand laid itself across hers, and the two sat in complete silence as they gazed out of the windows, watching the sun set.

Finally, as the sky began to blacken, Arthur spoke.

"Molly. My dear, sweet, Mollywobbles. Come and count stars with me."

And for the first time since her son died, Molly Weasley broke down and cried the storm of tears that had been raging inside.

But, even as she cried, she knew everything would be ok. Because tonight, when they counted stars, they would add one more star to the night.

* * *

**See? I tried to make it happy at the end... HAPPY BIRTHDAY! YAY! I hope you like your present, and have a good rest of your birthday!**

**-Melody**


End file.
